This invention relates to the wireless transmission of data associated with vehicular transportation and more specifically relates to interpreting such data by a vehicle.
Advances in technology along with lower costs are giving rise to new opportunities for new or improved communications. For example, wireless cellular communications are supported in most metropolitan cities around the world. In addition to voice communications, many of such cellular systems also support text messaging. Internet access utilizing a laptop computer or a personal digital assistant makes data communications possible from a variety of wireless (WI-FI) hot spots such as at hotels, airports, coffee shops, etc. The proliferation of such technologies results in efficiencies in manufacturing and lower costs of production.
Global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers are available as stand-alone portable units as well as vehicular mounted units. As long as the GPS receiver can receive acceptable signals, location information can be accurately conveyed to the user such as a driver of a vehicle. Available GPS systems can show the current location of a vehicle on a displayed map of the area and can provide route instructions for getting to a specified destination.
Despite such advances in communications, only limited data communication systems have been developed to provide information concerning conditions or events relevant to a driver and/or vehicle over the course of a journey of the vehicle. In one known system transmitters having a limited range of only a few hundred feet were deployed along a bus route. The transmitters transmitted data information by which each route marker was uniquely identified. The buses were provided with a data receiver to receive these transmissions. A separate conventional two-way radio was coupled to the data receiver in the buses which allowed the received data to be transmitted to a bus control center so that the position of the buses could be accurately monitored over the course of the bus route. This facilitated the management of a fleet of buses in a city. In another system a wireless transponder mounted in a car communicates with a communication device located at highway toll plazas facilitates the payment of tolls without requiring the car to come to a stop at the plaza. Although such data communication systems have proved useful, there exists a need to provide and utilize additional information related to the journey of a vehicle relating to conditions or events along the journey.